


Bendyshock and the Infinite Ink Machine

by Mecha9Viceroy74



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine, BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games), BioShock Infinite
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Dimension Travel, Major Character Injury, Multi, POV Alternating, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Plasmids (BioShock), Platonic Relationships, Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:53:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mecha9Viceroy74/pseuds/Mecha9Viceroy74
Summary: When a syphon opens up in an alternative version of Columbia that should not exist, something is bound to go wrong, especially for the people already living in the dimension. Can our unlikely hero Henriette Stein travel through alternate versions of the Sillyvision studio, stop the Ink Machine from ruining time and space and get along with alternate versions of herself, or himself?
Relationships: Henry Stein/Linda Stein, Robert Lutece/Rosalind Lutece, Susie Campbell/Joey Drew, Wally Franks & Sammy Lawrence
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue: The Creator's Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What exactly happened before Henry's counterpart rose to the task of fair Columbia's cartoon studio? Nothing but a ritual gone wrong, a studio fire and the other creator's fall from her studio and grace itself, after nearly everybody died of course. But are you brave enough to see the Creator's Fall?

As the menu title card of the Bendyshock and the Infinite Machine faded out to the sound of a violin, a woman's voice talks over the sound of sea waves as a trio of people drive over to the lighthouse on the Maine coast. "Dreams are funny little things. With enough enthusiasm or determination, you can make them come true. But mine was a hefty one, that cost oh so many people their own and that was just the people we knew. I should have told you sooner Stein, it hurts having to lie like this about what became of our creations. But we both know that Columbia would have been too dangerous had you returned during the war. Let me send you a letter, so that you can fix what I made." 

Another voice, this one belonging to a male silhouette asked the other narrator. "Are you really sure this is wise? If the Prime finds out what you intend for our hero to achieve, he might try and push back against us and all the other versions of Henry." The female silhouette just responds back as she is busy signing a letter. 

.

"Regretfully brother despite our differences, that Machine could force us back into the script he seems to be forcing other worlds to follow, even that of our own. I wish I never installed the machine now. The workers called me wicked, the papers brought my misdeeds to light and what I failed to do during that event haunts me even now." 

The male figure briefly reveals his silhouette to have a double breasted three piece suit as he sighs back. "You couldn't have known about the lengths Fink or the other Founders was willing to go to keep you and everybody else in your world under their thumb in Columbia. What was is like when yours went wrong?" "Beautiful, yet terrifying, not just due to Songbird my fellow Drew. Let me think back a bit." The narrator replies back as she narrates while showing a burn scarred hand. 

"It happened barely six months after she left the studio and shortly before Christmas Eve during the year 1946.. It was meant to be our final showing of the Christmas shorts and the final episode. Fate had other ideas in mind for us. I should have pushed harder to succeed, or was it less to ease the other's pain? I can't even remember why I wrote this letter in the first place." 

She shut her eyes and took a few deep breaths, as something bitter and sad threatened to break her façade of calm over the Drew Campbell studios, or Sillyvision Studios as the workers unofficially called it. But then again, something had seemed too wrong about the way one of the workers had acted back then... Or maybe there had been more than one sign of something going amiss in hindsight. 

Something was wrong today on the Sillyvision Court Theater, during Christmas Eve on the year 1946, barely a year after WW2 ended. However our protagonist of the moment is not the Henry Stein of this universe, for she has already left the Sillyvision Studio of Columbia to stay in California with her own counterpart of Linda. Instead as the cutscene pans out at the sound of an explosion in the lower levels that catches fire, the vague female silhouette of this universe's version of Joey Drew himself is shown as the player takes control of her as she nearly falls asleep on her desk, only to wake up at the smell of smoke. 

She mutters in concern. "An explosion, here in Sillyvison before Christmas? This is ridiculous, that Fink said I would have the best foundations for the studio. It appears I need to sound the fire warning tannoy and ensure we all evacuate in time before the fire kills us all. no thanks to the shoddy architecture." So the player's first objective is to head over to the office of Mr Rodriguez after you leave the office with the administration corridors as the black secretary winces in the second cutscene of the prologue. "What seems to be the issue Mrs Drew, or is it Campbell now? " 

Drew replies back with concern. "Mr Rodriguez, can you call the Columbia Fire Protection Association. I smelled smoke in my office and we need to get everybody out and quickly! Before everybody dies or the Lutece particles get disrupted!" He turns pale in his brown suit, before saying as he aps his finger. "A fire here in the studio Drew? So soon before Christmas. Right, I'll get on it. We probably should have picked New York and not here as the studio location, but oh well. Can't say that to Fink's face. Guess the hydrogen could go any moment." So Rodriguez goes to send a fax and a telephone dial elsewhere in the admin department leaving the tannoy ready for Josie to use. 

Then as she heads over to the tannoy, she called out on the emergency broadcast. " Dear department heads and employees at Sillyvision, I have an urgent announcement to make tonight. Unfortunately there is a fire which has sparked in our studio, which could cause a lethal explosion, do not try to fight the fire by yourself. So please remain calm and follow evacuation procedures until the C.F.P.A arrive. Please do not take any valuables with you, because they could catch on fire. For the love of God nobody had better have taken a smoke on my watch! That is all, thank you for listening to the DCC broadcast." 

Then a new objective appears on the clipboard. Objective: Warn the department heads and head to the fire exit. Josie also sighs while leafing through the keychain of studio keys. "I probably don't need my pistol while talking to Benton and Piedmont or the others, but I'm keeping it with me and the keys for the Vigor dispensers." You then walk over to to the admin office and have to unlock the Vigor emergency vials dispensers including a small purple vial with butterfly wings and some inky yellow, brown and monochrome vials. As the Bertrum Piedmont, Grant Cohen, Shawn Flynn, Thomas Conner and Susie Campbell counterparts all are queuing outside the admin department as the cutscene plays. 

"Samuel, why are you here? There's a fire going on here and I don't think Mr Pendle is off sick. I need to get everybody out and quick." Samuel scoffs in annoyance as he mutters back. "Well some of us would rather not be here. Somebody has to keep an eye for the Devil, Wolf and Angel hun, despite our spats. If we get through this alive, I want to have my old job back." 

Thomas's counterpart mutters with her slight Virginia accent as she adjusts her sleeves with her good hand. " Samuel Campbell, you'll be lucky if the celloids doesn't catch fire and take us all with them , along with everything else in this building. Hey Mrs Piedmont, you shut down all the theme park electrics with Benton, right? We don't need them burning , electrical fires are murder." 

Bertrum's counterpart nods her head as she replies while towering over Josie. "Of course I already did that, Mrs Campbell. The great Bertrude Piedmont does not deal in cheapness. You go warn the other Gent employees Tanya, I shall assist the carnival workers with evacuation." Shawn's counterpart, Shauna scowls at drew while chewing a pie. "What do ya want boss? I was having my dinner. This about the fire?" 

"Shauna, I know I've been a horrid boss lately. But I need your help to evacuate everybody working in the heavenly toys warehouse. Surely ensuring we can all get out alive is the best course of action?" The toymaker just raised her eyes at Drew, as if suspecting her of hiding something. " Oh. Sure. Lawrence has been acting weird lately. I already stopped the toy belts yesterday Drew. Eh, at least you aren't flying off the handle at me for some of the time." 

This was troubling, as our hero twitched an eyebrow, while Shauna leaves the admin department. "I should've checked up sooner with her and Hill, before the Christmas rush. The writing was on the wall the moment I built that massive machine. We need to get out of here and quick Flynn!" Meanwhile Murrina Hill the co-architect was looking at the ink machine as she muttered. "This wasn't meant to happen, I didn't plan for this! I can't let the others see what gifts the machine gave me, yet." Then she vanished ,although Tanya looked around in confusion. "Where'd you go Murrina? We need

The nervous glances, at the smoke, the ink and everybody's footsteps made it hard to move around through the workplace and holler at everybody. Which probably was why the vague whispers involving Daveigh, Rickie and Jacque going missing as Buffy Lewek and Derek gulps nervously "A fire here! We need to get out of here and quick, before that ink. At a silhouette wearing a Bendy mask and carrying an ax arguing with a figure carrying a wrench and a welding mask were standing near the circle, only for the welding figure to vanish as the three people fled out of the door, much to the masked figure's dismay as she removed her own mask, revealing herself to be an alternate version of Sammy Lawrence. 

As this universe's version of Sammy Lawrence comes out of the theatre yo try and give chase, it was clear she is suffering from Vigor addiction and ink obsession at the same time as she holds an axe in her hand and groans while nearly coughing up a black liquid which concerned everyone along with the sweats. "For once it's pitiful to see you Josie Drew. You think you can conduct our goddess's whims." This does not impress Josie as she replies while visibly horrified. "Mrs Samantha Lawrence what goddess? Did you mishear what I said on the tannoy, there is a fire in the building right now! I need you to get everybody in the music department out in time before we all burn to a crisp!"

Samantha than gasps in shock as she nearly swings the ax at the hero's right arm. "Oh, you're serious Josie? After all you put us through, why now?" Now our temporary protagonist shouts back. " Put that ax down right now , Sammy Lawrence! This is deadly important, music sheets can be replaced after a fire, but quite frankly your talent can't." At this as both Jack Fain and Emma Lamont's counterparts as the nice hat wearing lyricist mutters "And as far as I am the Queen of Sheba boss. We probably all need to get out of here as our janitor would say." "I suppose we'll need a new studio after all this. Or maybe a new employer instead of you know who." Eric Lamont, the British dance instructor shrugged with a sneer. 

Grace Cohen the red haired accountant shuffled out of her queue while holding a rope as she gasped. "Had to leave some of the water buckets to stop it for a while, You should have hired better electricians Josephine Drew, then we wouldn't be in this mess!" Josie then sighed as she sniffed the air, still keeping her red, white and blue ribbon sunhat on. "I doubt the smoke smelled like electric faults Mrs Cohen, seems to be candles. " She vaguely remembered checking everything, but had she cut corners somewhere with the architects and builders, or was it somebody else? "You won't succeed dearie Drew. Let me help." 

Was the stranger's voice a past version of one of the cartoons, a figure from the future, or somebody else? Drew didn't know as she lip read with a curt. "As long as whoever you are can ensure we all get out alive from the fire, it doesn't matter." The hurrying rush through the studio's art department was the quickest and nerve wracking feeling of something not being right in the studio. She remembered getting out a clip board and checking everybody's names, only to notice that Shauna had snook off. "That toymaker always seems to know how to needle me. Why has she snook off now? Grant, Conner, Piedmont, Lawrence raise your hands if you got everybody in your department out." Three pairs of hands came up, as Tanya sighed while wringing her own hands. 

"Hill's not been back yet, she said that she had to do some last minute maintenance. 

Suddenly the Columbia police force arrives as Josie gasps in relief only to notice something off. "Excuse me officer, have you seen the fire brigade? A fire has broken out here and I need to get everybody out of the studio, standing in the doorway of a burning building isn't safe." The chief officer looks suspiciously at her sweating face as he replies. "Mrs Fink thought there were Vox sympathisers among your staff, Mrs Drew-Campbell. We cannot allow a second Vox uprising to happen so close to the joyous day of Christ's birth. Though admittedly an evacuation should take first priority." Then of all people Jeremiah Fink's counterpart, Jezebel Fink arrives much to Josie's annoyance. " Jezebel Fink, can you please leave the premises, before I call my security guards. I am trying to get everybody in my workplace to evacuate during a fire, which is not a drill, on Christmas Eve! So I am not in the mood for a surprise inspection right now!" 

Fink shrugs with annoyance as she barges into the hallway. "I was planning on sending some of my guards to investigate the Vox Populi hyenas. We cannot have any interruptions so close to Christmas. I want a look at that Ink Machine, step aside!" "In the middle of a fire evacuation? That's a horrible idea Fink and you know it. One of my employees hasn't come back from maintenance, so it's definitely dangerous without Gent company advice!" Then suddenly as the brown haired chairwoman of Fink was about to use a Vigor to have a look at the Ink Machine against Drew's wishes, a gunshot rang out and a single dark brown eye fell onto the ground in a reddish puddle of blood. There was only one person who had an eye colour like that among the visitors and given the horrified looks of everyone else and the one bloodied woman on the ground, it was Jezebel Fink herself, as the studio began to descend into even more panic. "My right side hurts! Why's everything gone blurry? Wait a minute, is that my right eye? Argh the agony!" Fink muttered in pain as she blinked her own good eye in utter agony and writhed while struggling to get up. 

Suddenly the Ink machine roars as Grace Cohen screams in horror at Fink being shot in the eye. "This doesn't add up! The numbers don't add up! What should we do now Fink's been shot Josie?" "I don't know! Get some bandages and something to stop the bleeding Grace! Everybody stay calm and evacuate in an orderly fashion!" Josie yells as she tries to take charge of the bad situation, while Wilma's voice is heard in the background, as Shawn Flynn's counterpart shouts in the background while holding her smoking gun up triumphantly. "No, no, no! I didn't intend for any of this to happen." "Death to that leon soith Fink and glory to the late Fitzroy the Bold! Let's kick Drew's fucking arse too!" The Vigoured Rebels then started drawing weapons as everybody else who hadn't brought a gun for self defence panicked and tried to hide from the cops and get out in time. Things went downhill from there, as now Josie felt a rush of fear and panic, as the ink began to bubble up and bullets were exchanged like hated fruitcake. 

"I'm outta here! Don't wanna die in a gun fight with cops!" " Wilma Franks, you lazy thief get back here!" Samantha yelled as she held her inky hands like a shield. Wilma jumped out of the second floor window after smashing down some of the doors with a fire axe, much to Josie's confusion as the voices of everybody else blurred into one. She didn't know how she'd pulled through the fray, but the studio head had nearly fallen into exhaustion from the smoke as Samuel helped her up. "Jesus, are you okay? God half the people in the studio aren't aiming the guns right!" "Are you going to complain about the shooting, or the fire?" Josephine pointed out at the crackling flames before grabbing a fire station, as the sound of the fire engines echoed around. 

Suddenly just as everybody seems okay, Bertrude Piedmont screams in pain as the red eyed Songbird tore her chest in half with a machine gun near the bendy land theme park warehouse while the protector of Columbia nursing a scar from a rivet gun that looks crushed in the city's protector's claws while the mechanic Lacie is lying nearly an animatronic with ink bleeding out, but now after having to avoid being shot by her own workers, the Columbian police and automatons, Josie's patience had worn thin as she snapped while shaking her fists as her messy hair blew in the breeze. "Oh patriots and God know what? I regret to say this Songbird, but get off my studio! Everyone in this place is going to die if I don't get this place under control!" 

A purple and silver glasslike blade emitted from her wrist with a crackle as Josie nearly felt sick at the elaborate Vigour's little way of phasing the magic ingredient through her bloodstream. Before aiming a sword blast at the enraged bird-like machine. Songbird's voice-box crackled at the blow. "Thou must not suffer a witch live. Exodus chapter 22, part 18, as the good book says. May the Vox be sent to Satan's realm!" 

Then the hot fire of anger rose up in her face as she muttered. "Is killing people who weren't even aware of the Vox's rage or the rot in here justified? No, I don't think so!" 

The boss fight against Songbird ends as Songbird flies away from the . The purple and black butterfly briefly fused with the Columbia flag as a horrified Josie sees Samuel Campbell jump in front of her as his throat was cut by a sword as she muttered. "No, no, no. I couldn't save you. Should have saved you! should have saved you! Argh, I'm sorry everybody. But I'll fix this soon, no matter how long it takes! Wait, did I just-" 

As the flames and the ink's whispers intensify, Josephine falls out of the fifth floor window as the screen fades to black and the sound of Josephine screaming is heard in the background of the level ending cutscene, along with shattering glass.

Linda's counterpart groans in the ending chapter of the prologue movie. "Why are we even going back to that horrible place Henrietta? We both know Drew wasn't the nicest person to you or anyone else 20 years ago." Henrietta turns her greying blond hair towards Linda's counterpart as she replies.

"We both need closure, since the Pendles went missing from Massachusetts 10 years ago. Given they were last spotted in Columbia, before entering Sillyvision, we'll have to look for answers there. "They went up the lighthouse, not noticing the swarm of butterflies watching in the background. End prologue. 


	2. Chapter 1- Moving Pictures in the sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something goes wrong with the ink machine, two strangers who already know about the studio incident show up and in other news Columbia has gone to rot. Can our duo find out in the art department for the moving pictures? Or is there more then meets the eye and ear?

The welcoming Center seemed as wonderous as ever, despite the peeling paint as Henriette sighed. "Do you remember when we first came up here to meet your parents. Columbia seemed so shiny and new with you. I just hadn't realised the other issues in my old home. Wait what's that?" A brief crackling sound came as an ominous shadow murmured. "Well, well old friend. A new arrival to the Cycle." But just as the walls nearly fell apart and the water turned to ink, the illusion faded away. Oddly the priest wasn't there, but going through the entry motion of baptism was just another routine as Liam replied back. "Well I just felt you actually brightened up the place, the whole of Columbia was getting a bad patch without your talents." 

Elisha Comstock was awaiting them in the top of the welcoming committee park near the broken Mother Comstock statue and he sighed to his visitors. " I can't get inside Josie Drew Campbell studios after Fink died. The police sealed it off after the fire incident and it's a miracle the whole of Emporia did not go with it. If you were told to go there, it could probably be a trick or a trap. Were you happy down below Mr and Mrs Stein? " 

This was troubling news as now Henriette paled. "The one that happened on Christmas eve, 1946? The one that nearly got everybody there killed, apart from five survivors, including Wilma Franks? I'd almost forgotten that horrible day. But Josephine Drew-Campbell sent me that letter and if she's somehow alive, we need answers. Well, yes. It felt good to see my family again." Liam winced at the bags of exhaustion around the Ram of Columbia. "It feels more alive, I mean don't get me wrong Father there's no place like home. But New York and California are pretty beautiful in their own little ways." 

As the duo were about to head into the dilapidated Vigor fair grounds near the studio, a ginger haired male tour guide with grey eyes along with a black haired and grey eyed tour guide lady and sighed. "We're holding an annual coin toss to commemorate the tragedy of the Drew Campbell "I hate lying, but it's the only way we could get help that won't attract the Songbird." The lady whispered as the man whispered. "Jo. I doubt your world's version of Stein will trust you after this." "Sometimes the truth in stranger than fiction, Mr Twovoice." "I suppose you think it's amusing-" "to play the roles the Cycle wants of us, for now." Liam shrugged at the arguing duo as they walked away from the charred gates outside the Drew-Campbell studio. "You don't think those two were relatives of Josie, do you?" Henriette shook her head while she leaded her husband past the gates. "I doubt it. She didn't have curly hair. Let's have a gander." 

The keys clinked and the door creaked open as Henriette sighed. "Alright Josie. We're both here. Now let's see what you wanted me to see." The familiar brown and white wood had turned yellow and brown. 

"Lambs should not argue with the lion, you have to follow the reworked contract Miss Flynn! That includes letting us know of contraband." "Oh really? Well last time I checked it didn't read Jezebel Fink studios, so go bother somebody who cares! Ain't it ironic that your name belongs to a deceiver of a king Jezzy. I have to go make this" The Voxophone dating 1st of April 1935 rang out near the plushie of Betty the demon as Henrietta groaned while picking up the Betty Plushie doll near the testing projector booth, Shauna had hated now towing to the likes of Jezebel Fink and she privately agreed. "Hope you don't mind borrowing this for the machine Shauna. Where are you, Drew and Franks, you should be here by now?"

Meanwhile, Liam groaned as he got the gear out of the dry cell container. "Why'd the mechanic lady lock this gear under a double lock, something's not right here. Better go meet up with Henriette, she's probably waiting for me." "I think that's everything in Wilma and whoever that Murrina's instructions mentioned. Now we have to figure out how to get the ink flowing." Now Liam was starting to have doubts as he sighed. "You sure this is a good idea. Maybe we should just leave the place and quick." 

At the sight of the distorted, two pink bow, one lacey glove and tattered ballet skirt wearing version of Betty the Dancing Demon, Liam screamed in horror as he locked the door. "Now what do we do? There's a monster version of your own cartoon after us!" Henriette gasped. "I don't know. Run to the exit, we could be safe there!" But as the duo headed off on a running start, the Ink Demoness smashed down the door with an angry scream. 

Ink spurted all over the doors, blocking the planks and viewing theatre area as our heroes ran towards the doorway for the exit and freedom in a panicked rush! 

Then all of a sudden, the songbird, with several scars and in its rusted glory nearly tore down the roof to grab our heroes, but the planks gave


	3. Chapter 2: The Old Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the disastrous first attempt to escape the cursed Drew Campbell Studio lot, our heroes try again, this time through the music department

Henriette felt her head ache as the feeling of being torn out and reassembled slowed down, as the quickly got up with a slightly broken cross. "Oh, my head. What even happened with the candles? Liam, are you okay?" Liam was out cold, which was un-nerving as he wasn't exactly a lightweight drinker of alcohol or Vigors. She quickly checked his pulse as he quickly coughed up some ink. "Urgh, I don't wanna know what just wound up in my mouth. That tasted worse then the Bucking Bronco Vigor, glad I got clean until now." "Do you need an abdominal thrust to clear the ink out?" "I didn't drink that much Henri. I'll live, but thanks anyway." Liam chuckled as he climbed up after taking his wife's hand. Then he checked his gun, only to notice the bullets had been emptied, only to remember the monsterous version of Bettie that had chased them across the Art department and the ground floor, before tutting in dismay. 

"What the hell was up with that version of Bettie the Dancing Demon anyway? She chased us, tried to kill us both and God above, something tells me she might have done something worse to everybody who couldn't get out in time! Love, I need you to share everything you can think of about Bettie, if we need to make it out. My gun's fresh out of ammo." She shook her greying blond hair in dismay while struggling to hold the axe in her hand as she replied. "I created her for the first short Little Devil Darling during the year 1929, helped animate her, Bonnie the Wolf, who we just saw dissected an hour ago and Alex Angel till 1940, when I resigned. Can remember those three the most, but I don't really remember her being that aggressive, she was meant to be a flapper and go-getter girl." 

Then the clicking of two pairs of footsteps echoed across the ritual room as the two Drews arrived, much to Henriette's exasperation at Josephine. " What is going on here Josie? I am not in the mood for sugar coating things! People died here in that fire and I would not want to be here now!" Her old friend just rolled her eyes before saying. "Unfortunately Henri, somebody seems to have ruined the stairs while you were unconscious, so we can't get out. I don't know how this place got brought back the way it shouldn't have been, the machine can't be that powerful surely? Truly fascinating." Joshua then clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

"Urgh, at least we've both got wellington boots. Ladies first, since you were the co-founder and all that jazz." Liam Stein moaned upon noticing the massive ink flood in the T shaped hallway covered with the classic trademarked, as his wife groaned upon noticing the knee deep ink. "That's not right. If a fire broke out, then the whole music department and the rest of this building would be a charred husk of a building, due to ink containing ethanol. Even if Betty has become monsterous, we need to push on and find another way out." The squelching of the ink echoed, as suddenly on the other side of the hallway, a woman and a man wearing Betty masks walked across the T hallway's end. "Sheep sheep, sheep. It's time for sleep." "We need something fresh for this performance. The devil darling must be kept happy. 

"Excuse me please, we're lost! Is anybody here?" Henriette yelled as her husband whispered. "Those two seem busy with something else. We can't just ask complete strangers in an abandoned building for help." But the odd duo that were not the two odd tour guides who had been giving out free coin tosses near the ruined statue of Comstock, walked down the other end as our heroes quickly looked around, but only a cardboard cut-out of Betty was standing there . 

Suddenly six moaning humanoid ink monsters jumped out of the puddles! "What in the name of the three Saints are those things!?" A rain of cold sweat trickled down 

As our heroes went to hide in the cafeteria, Joshua and Josie were already manning the canteen, with faded Bettie, bonnie and Fink posters all over the walls. 

The odd Searcher with the brown straw Stretson Straw hat warbled in surprise as the duo puzzled out what to do. "Now what, if that's actually Jane Fain the lyricist and if the Betty masked woman was Samantha, then now what?" "I don't want to push the crate, maybe we should hand over something to jog her memory."

"Not now sheep. While it pleases me greatly that you spared our Provider, the believers must have their saviour. She must notice me." Samantha whispered in a low prophet voice that sounded like a Universal picture movie as Eric Lamont tilted his inky head. "You mean the two of us, my dear prophetess?" 


	4. Chapter 3: Rise and fall

After the horrifying near death experience of being tied up and sacrificed to the ink Demoness and a second encounter near the ink filled exit which had led to a chase through a maze full of office corridors and being locked in the Store 3 vault before Bonnie had saved their metaphorical bacons, the two Steins were relaxing in the same room in the safehouse, which had blue and red curling wall-paper. "Think whatever happened to Eric, Samantha, Jane and everybody else in the music department spread to the others in the studio during the fire dear?" Liam stated as he played catch with a baseball, like he used to with his fellow GIs during the Victory Day party as his wife replied while throwing it . "Given what Eric was complaining about in that audio log we uncovered and the shouting in the second audio log, maybe. We still don't know everything though." 

She yawned while getting up and changed into her studio travelling uniform. "For once, I'm glad my budget didn't cover heels. Oh hello there Bonnie." The calm she wolf wearing her iconic headscarf waved happily, before our hero quickly raised an eyebrow 

The sight of the massive toy warehouse threw Henriette for a loop as she muttered to Liam. "Now my memory's faulty in some places hubby, but I don't remember any of this. It looks so beautiful up here. Even in somewhere as horrifying as this, there's still hope for us yet Liam." Then suddenly a smooth man's voice humming a song echoed as Liam asked her a question while peeking at all of the stuffed toys, trains and animatronic models. "You mentioned Alex Angel earlier. Wasn't that Samuel Campbell guy voicing him for a while? Because this song sounds just like his pipes!" 

But there was nobody there in the toy machine room, only abandoned toy belts, scorched dolls and some work benches cluttered with gunsmithing tools and hidden copies of the People's Voice and devil masks. "Wait a minute, something's not right here. What was going on after I left this place?" 

"I'm Alex Angel!" Then suddenly a vaguely wrong version of Alexander Angel jumped in front of the window and started smashing the glass as he laughed at their discomfort, while the TVs turned off and the lights dimmed ominously. 

The two strangers showed up again, this time arguing over a fork in the corridor, much to Henriette and Liam's annoyance. "Why is this ridiculous turnpike here and-" "why do we keep on doing this? I suppose it's to preserve the mystique. Anyway, which way do you wish to see lovebirds? The Devil path of our monsterous minx?" 

The Songbird peeked his head through the pipes and Liam muttered to Henriette as they hid in the little miracle station. "Thought we saw the last of that bird, after the whole Searcher attack in the recording booth. Why is the Songbird after us and the Demoness?" "I don't know, you've lived here longer then me!" Henriette whispered back as the Songbird searched for any signs of his enemy while shrieking angrily. 

"Kzzzt! Aiding the Pharisee is not abetted! Zzzt! Nor the false shepherd!" The voicebox of the Songbird crackled as he left in anger, while the soft voice of whoever Icarus was echoed. "Oh sorry. Made a brodie there. Alex said he'd meet you down at Level 9. Better not keep that guy waiting." 

Then suddenly Henriette screamed as something pierced her side and the lift crashed onto the ground! 


	5. Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wandering through a partisaned theme park and fighting in the Bendy Land warehouse isn't ideal. But rescuing Bonnie is the first priority for Henriette and Liam, before the double crossing Alex Angel goes for a lethal upgrade.

She couldn't remember much of what had happened as Josephine pulled her up from the bloodied remains of the lift she'd plummeted down, before sweating as her old friend apologised. "I'm sorry I couldn't intervene against the lift, but there's more then one demon living in this studio. She listens to every single warp of space, every whispered desire in this place. Well enough lollygagging. Here, take this flashlight, you'll need it for the next step." But the frustrated Henriette punched her old friend's shoulder before yelling. "Alright then, what did you really want me to see Josie? Our own cartoons turned into monsters, the songbird, or the ruined remains of the studio which should have burned down all those years ago after I left in 1946!?" 

The blow didn't catch, as Joshua groaned while helping Liam down the stairs. "Henri, what are you doing? " "Getting answers off an old friend, like she should have given us before all of this!" A mutter of spite escaped Henriette's lips in a reply towards the ginger guy who looked like Josephine, before Josie sighed as she tried to give a straight answer. "I have no idea how most of this happened, but it's something to deal with the ink machine. I tried to give Bettie and the others life, but she took my memories, after I fell. The one you saw in the vision when you took my personal Vigor." 

The accounting department seemed oddly abandoned as the tinny sound of the Readiness is all echoed and Liam groaned as he tried to open the door. " Okay, why's there a naval porthole in the middle of a corridor that's not a submarine? This doesn't make sense." "Let's not question it and keep going." But then the door slammed shut, as several people wearing studio uniforms all covered in the ink started whispering about wanting to be set free. Eerily, they were all wearing Bettie demon masks. 

"These girls and guys get to waste their time playing carnival games, while I'm stuck cleaning up after them! They kept on getting locked out of their rooms last week without the punch cards. So I says to em, look maybe rig up the carnival games to knock open the door if ya win? Save me the trouble of cleaning up all the time. They went for it like a dog to pot roast, especially with the fancy-schmancy Vigors. I'm telling you, if folks round Columbia don't realise the real genius, I'm outta here!" Wilma's audio log crackled. 

The snide voice of the twisted Alex angel called out on the tannoy as Henriette and Liam tried the test your strength game near the haunted house. "You two finished playing with the games? I'm sure your precious Bonnie is having trouble staying in one piece." "Leave us alone Sammy, we want at least some closure, even if it's going through all of these carnival games to get the haunted house powered up!" Liam grumbled as the evil angel muttered. "Don't call me by my old name Stein! It's Alex Angel! Shame, you two could have joined me. Guess we have to be enemies, for now." 

Meanwhile Henri took a deep breath at the target shooting game, before taking aim at the bull's eye targets, while a bull automaton commentated on the skill, which was a


	6. Chapter 5:Is It truely The Last Reel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the traumatising battle against the Brute Bonnie, Henriette and Liam have been held prisoner by another version of Alex Angel and Bonnie the wolf. But is it really the end, or just another part of the cycle?

Henriette felt too drained to stand up as she hummed Sent from Above in her shared bed, a simple group of overturned crates with a bandage over her elevator wound, as the other Alex Angel was humming along Bettie's tin whistle theme tune. Liam had fallen asleep as the brusque angel was drawing on the wall. "I don't suppose you could let us out of here Mr Angel?" He stopped humming before replying as he turned his neck at the sound of the animator's weary voice. "Well down here , strangers aren't good things. Especially not ones who get easily tricked by the other angel. What's your name?" 

"Henriette Stein, or Henri if you'd prefer a shorter one. What's yours?" The other angel shrugged with a snort. "I can barely remember my own name. They call me Alex, but I'm no angel. Not with the nightmares of before the studio." She could tell the signs were the same, of always feeling anxious, the sweats whenever the War got brought up, nightmares and 

As inky ribbons covered the outside of the hideout, Tanya the Wolf signed in ASL angrily as she was about to open the door. "Something's wrong, we all need to leave." "Bettie's nearly here Allister! We can't take them with us, that Ink Demoness would spot us!" But Allister quickly handed the seeing tool over as he apologised to Henriette. "I'm sorry Henri. Neither of us have enough time, but maybe that tool could brighten the way." The ink Demoness smashed her fist on the door with a curt yell as Tanya and Allister fled. "Let. them. go." 

And then everything was silent as Liam woke up. "What just happened love? Swear I was out like a light." "Allister and Tanya left from this prison of a hideout because of the Ink Demoness. We need to find another way out, also Allister barely remembered his old life, my letters to Tanya or you." Liam then gawped in shock as he rubbed his eyes and got up. "Wait, I know you and Tanya were pen-pals while you were stationed in the Pacific and me and Liam fought in the same unit against the Axis Powers in Europe. So they must have been taking Vigors for a pretty long time to forget, or maybe it's the ink doing it." 

Together, the duo fruitlessly searched, until Henri remembered the seeing tool and lifted it out of the pocket of her coat. "He will leave you for dead. Morbid, but true." Henri muttered as she pushed the secret passage to lead them out of the cell. The free part of the hideout was full of Allister's drawings, a workbench, some corrugated metal and Bertrude Piedmont's blueprints for the theme park rides in Bettie Land as the duo moved to the next skyhook station, outside the hideout. 

The duo walked through the hideout, only to see multiple Voxophone records from the other parts of the studio scattered around their temporary ally's rooms. "Who brought those here? I mean we put them in the Voxophone tab, unless they were taking a peek for themselves? To remember maybe." Liam asked the unspoken question, while Henriette wracked her brain. 

"Can you hear it traitor? The studio whispers and creaks and it will be brighter, better then before , waiting for a new era of cartoons. Of course, I won't need you or those two by then. Once my daughter is perfected , I will have no more need for hiding between realms, away from that blasted Songbird. Say hello to Samuel and the others in Heck for me will you." Then suddenly as the eerie radio message cut out, that sounded like the purple monster, but clearer and more familiar, the wooden boards over the wonky cavernous platform smashed over the Stein duo's feet as Allister Angel cried out in horror. "Henriette, oh no!" 

She screamed in surprise as her trousers nearly turned into a skirt which looked like Helen Angel's first concept art, Liam just felt sick as suddenly they landed onto a cavern as the Lonely Angel played on tinny records through the administration lobby and the stranger's voice echoed. "I suppose you intend to finish this old friend, not so fast. If it was not for the way Samuel, Drew or the songbird kept me from leaving the studio, I would've finished the job myself. Let's see if you can handle these pipe puzzles." 

Josie and Joshua both winced as Henriette complained to Josie. "Is it me, or does whoever the Lady in Purple is sound a bit like you? Because I've only seen a bit of your memories through the Butterfly Effect Vigor and we were voicing something for an episode. Forgive me for being a fuddy duddy old lady." Josie then sighed. "You've heard all of my Voxophones up to this point right? That's Bettana, the antagonist I created for the Sleeping beauty episode and somehow she became real after a failed attempt to take over me . She's been behind most of this mess, apart from the fire. I can't help you if she's started becoming an active presence in the studio. Also whatever you do, don't use the Butterfly effect Vigour to avoid the Dressmaker Gang in the admin hallways, she'll spot you!" 

The seeing tool did not show what she expected, instead of the a sentence showing a missing film reel it showed a film reel torn in half covered in smoke as Allister snook up behind Liam as he asked. "Wait, that's new. I didn't think this image would would change. That other you saw a sentence saying the demon stole it. Got any theories?" Liam shoved Allister off as the former GI muttered. "No need to stand that close Mr Right side angel. Let Henri speak on her own theory." "It's not just the Ink Demoness. Bettana, she must have stolen the other half of the reel." 

Henriette fell through the Tear as Liam tried to grab her wrist. But a tide of water and ink separated the couple, as unknown to everybody in Columbia, the Herald of the Ink Machine took out her wrench and began to work on another smaller machine. The Prime Joey Drew suddenly winced, like something had stabbed him in the gut. "You two again? Why resist the narrative?" To be continued in the Rapture Chapter..... 


	7. Chapter 6: Rapture's Rondo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Henri struggles to deal with Rapture, splicers, reality distortions, Sander Cohen's rants and

Henriette Stein got up on the Sillyvision floor, only to find herself all alone without in an underwater city playground of a casino and she looked around with dawning horror at the flooded billboards. "Is this that Rapture place Joshua mentioned? Looks like a right Atlantis here." The eerie laugh of a circus clown made her stop in fright, at the odd vending machine she hadn't seen before. " A, ha, ha, ha, ha! Welcome to the Circus of Values! Rapture's clowningly good prices, it'll be a steal." To someone who'd visited the surprising vendor of the Dollar Bill of Columbia, the box shaped figure didn't really impress her at all. There were no Vigour salts, as the tell tale sound of a radio crackling made the 63 year old former animator at Josie Drew studios check the transmitter. "What just happened Joshua? One minute I was about to put the END Reel in, then all of the ink machine nearly exploded in the brawl? Is Josie okay here?" The reply was rather disconcerting, as the sound of Josie, yelling in the infirmary reached her ears from Columbia. 

"I'm sorry, but Josie couldn't step through the Tear to Rapture. Bettana did something to her ankles in the brawl against Songbird. You'll have to stick with me, can't believe Fort Frolic's been let go this badly. Cohen was meant to help me out, along with my world's version of you, Henry Lime. An animator and soldier from New Orleans back in World War 2, I was too young to enlist and a contentious objector. But hey, at least I made a career in radio before Sillyvision." This wasn't exactly new, apart from the radio bit or the age gap, but to keep her spirits up, Josie looked around. "Okay, well the way back to your Sillyvision studio was somewhere in Fort Frolic, right?" 

The monster looked like the Ink Demoness, but more masculine, with a badly fused combination of a bendy mask and Tanya Conner, or was it Thomas Conner's gent uniform as he roared while pointing the gun at her head. "Lime, show your wolfy mug here right now! Or I'll shoot this parasite dame's block off!" 


	8. Bioshocking Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Henriette and Henry Lime meet up with the famed Henry Stein, have to stop ink fused monsters and a dimensional paradox caused by Joey Drew underestimating universal mechanics.

A discordant symphony of a mix of sounds, instruments and badly tuned singing echoed along with the Prime Joey Drew's pained screams in the music department, all to the tune of Sander Cohen's Masterpiece on the piano as Henry Lime asked Henriette a question. "Please tell me you left that Cohen guy for dead, or finished him off? Because the other Henry's gone missing and he might have kidnapped him!" Henriette sighed in reply. "No, that Jack fellow showed up and nearly did it, before the Ink Demon Splicer that Thomas Conner became in your universe tried to kill us both." It was eerie as the sounds nearly stopped, only for Joey Drew to start yelling at the duo. 

"Golly, thank god somebody heard me. That masked maniac stabbed me, said he wanted to turn me into a plaster sculpture, made music lyrics out of my blood and then drew an animation of my death on the posters and walls! He literally has six arms!" A laugh coming from the fused stage of the music department and Fort frolic's upper atrium sounded almost like Henry's dryest chuckle. 


End file.
